FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy White
The Natural Marketing Institute
215.513.7300 ext. 225
Nancy.White@NMIsolutions.com

The Three F's of Food Trends: Fiber, Functionality, and Fat

Harleysville, Pa. (July, 2005) The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), the leading provider of strategic consulting, consumer insights and market research services across various health and wellness industries, today expanded on one of the trends it has identified as having a significant impact on the health and wellness marketplace. This trend is the second in the series of NMI's Top Ten Trends of 2005.

Trend #2: The Three F's of Food Trends: Fiber, Functionality and Fat
In January 2005, the U.S. government released its updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Within these new guidelines exist various components for a healthier American population. NMI trends confirm that consumers are indeed predisposed to using more nutritionally based foods and beverages for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, whether that be general wellness or for preventing (or even treating) specific health issues.

Fiber: As a significant growth area and platform for many new products, whole grain and fiber products continue to proliferate in the marketplace across many categories and all trade channels. This is clearly evidenced and aligned with NMI trends, including:

• 82% of all consumers use whole grain foods (up 5% from 2003);

• However, almost 30% state their diet is "fiber deficient" or "whole grain" deficient;

• 42% seek foods/beverages which are high in fiber (up slightly from 2003);

• 30% regularly check for "fiber" on food/beverage package labels

Functionality: The number of consumers using functional foods and beverages is clearly increasing. More than 60% of all consumers state usage of functional foods/beverages in the past year – up from 46% in 1999. "In addition, almost half of all consumers state that functional foods or beverages contain specific ingredients that can have a positive effect on a specific health function and 25% believe that they can be used in place of some medicines," states Maryellen Molyneaux, President of NMI. This creates opportunities across many products and health conditions.

Fats: Fat-free and low-fat foods usage has declined 15% and 5% respectively over the past six years. And there also exists a shift from general (low/no) fat concern to specific types of fats, such as trans-fats and saturated fats, as shown by various NMI quantitative data:

• Almost two-thirds of consumers are aware of trans-fats, up 8% from 2003;

• 43% of all consumers state usage of foods that are trans-fat free;

• 44% try to limit the amount of trans-fats in their diet, up 8% from last year;

• Almost half look for "saturated fat" on food/beverage package labels

According to Molyneaux, "Product functionality, whether rooted in the use of foods/beverages to deal with specific health issues, or the inclusion of healthier ingredients, such as the addition of fiber or the elimination of trans-fats, will be the foundation for growth for decades to come for many companies."

NMI's Health & Wellness Trends Database™ (HWTD) and other proprietary data sources can provide a wealth of insight for companies in the health and wellness marketplace. For more information on the HWTD or NMI's other consumer databases, contact NMI or visit our website at http://www.nmisolutions.com. Market trends and other data are also available in NMI's 2005 Health & Wellness Trends Report™ (HWTR). To review a table of contents or to order, please visit: http://www.nmisolutions.com/r_hwt_toc.html.

###

NMI is a strategic consulting, market research, and business development company specializing in the health, wellness, and sustainable marketplace. For more information on NMI's trend reports, proprietary databases and other services, visit NMI's web site at www.NMIsolutions.com.

< back to Press Releases main page